Phasa Newsletter Issue 11 2008

This issue of the PHASA newsletter advertises the forthcoming 4th Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA) Conference in Cape Town in early June, and the workshops that precede it; and draws attention to a 2-week WHO course Promoting Rational Medicines Use in the Community, during the University of Western Cape’s School of Public Health Winter School in July 2008. We look at three audit reports highlighting the high death rates amongst mothers, babies and children each year in South Africa. We publish the Declaration of the National Consultative Health Forum on Primary Health Care, at the Birchwood Conference Centre, Gauteng, April 2008; we note the recognition of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) as a Group on Earth Observations (GEO); we promote the remarkable book by Professor William Pick, which recalls his personal history in the midst of extraordinary transformations in South Africa; we publish an obituary from the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) on Dr. Ivan Toms and we draw attention to the long-awaited report on


	This issue of the PHASA newsletter advertises the forthcoming 4th Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA) Conference in Cape Town in early June, and the workshops that precede it; and draws attention to a 2-week WHO course Promoting Rational Medicines Use in the Community, during the University of Western Cape’s School of Public Health Winter School in July 2008. We look at three audit reports highlighting the high death rates amongst mothers, babies and children each year in South Africa. We publish the Declaration of the National Consultative Health Forum on Primary Health Care, at the Birchwood Conference Centre, Gauteng, April 2008; we note the recognition of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) as a Group on Earth Observations (GEO); we promote the remarkable book by Professor William Pick, which recalls his personal history in the midst of extraordinary transformations in South Africa; we publish an obituary from the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) on Dr. Ivan Toms and we draw attention to the long-awaited report on burns, now available from the World Health Organisation.
	The 4th Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA) Conference will be held from 2-4 June 2008 at the Southern Sun Cape Sun, Cape Town, South Africa, preceded by seven workshops. The theme of the conference, in keeping with the 30th anniversary of the Alma Ata Declaration, will be: ‘Making Alma Ata principles a 21st century reality: What will it take?’The theme will enable critical review of the progress that Southern Africa has made in terms of providing health care for all. Read More The University of Western Cape is hosting a 2-week WHO course Promoting Rational Medicines Use in the Community during the School of Public Health Winter School in July 2008. Read More Three South African health reports -Saving Mothers, Saving Babies and Saving Children -provide data on thousands of deaths annually, and make recommendations to strengthen the quality of care provided to mothers, babies and children at the time when they most need it. In Every Death Counts, the authors of these three audit reports present a set of unified recommendations with specific actions for government officials, policy makers, health managers and healthcare providers to save lives. Read More Letter from the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), concerning the situation in Zimbabwe and its effect on the health of citizens, as well as the ability of health and humanitarian aid workers to provide care and assistance to those in need. Read More		Declaration of the National Consultative Health Forum on Primary Health Care, at the Birchwood conference centre, Gauteng Province, April 2008, . Read More At the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) symposium in Brazil in September, the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) applied for membership of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and contributed to the session of public health. Read More At the November 2007 GEO-IV Plenary session in Cape Town, the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) received notification that it had been recognised as a participating organisation in the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). Read More Professor William Pick has written a remarkable book -The Slave has Overcome -recalling his personal history in the midst of extraordinary transformations, and from the perspective of an internationally recognised leader in the field of public health. Read More We publish an obituary from the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) on Dr. Ivan Toms – Peoples’ Doctor, Apartheid War Resister, Gay Activist, Public Health Official and PLWHA Friend. Read More The long-awaited report on burns is now available from the World Health Organisation. This document is a road map for international activities in burn prevention for the next five years. Read More